Extensible shelf and rack assembly



Nov. 24, 1964 w. R. JOHNSON 3,158,113

EXTENSIBLE SHELF AND RACK ASSEMBLY Filed Nov. 28, 1962 United States Patent m 3,158,113 EXTENSIBLE SIELF AND RACK ASSENELY Walter R. Johnson, Qhicago, lib, assignor to The Borg- Ericlrson Corporation, Chicago, iii. a corporation of Illinois Filed Nov. 28, 1962, Ser. No. 240,493 Claims. (Cl. 168-464) This invention relates to a shelf assembly and more particularly to an extensible shelf assembly that may be readily converted into a drying rack.

Recent technological advances in the textile industry have produced a variety of fabrics known as drip-anddry materials. These materials, which are typically fabricated into shirts and underwear, as well as a variety of other wearing apparel, are adapted to dry quickly after washing and to require no ironing. Thus clothing made from these materials are ideally suited for thetraveler. The traveler may find himself with a plurality of these garments in need of washing and drying and with no provision in his hotel or motel room for convenient and adequate drying facilities. He may utilize a hanger found in the room but sometimes hangers are unavailable or if available may be bent or rusty. Similarly, the housewife may find inconvenient and inadequate drying facilities in the home. It is apparent that there is a need for a drying rack that is convenient and readily accessible for use.

An object of the present invention is to provide an extensible shelf assembly which is compact and which will suitably meet the need for drying wearing apparel.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a shelf assembly which will readily serve as a shelf in the collapsed position and which can be easily extended to serve as a drying rack.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an extensible shelf assembly comprising a support means, hinge bar means secured thereto, and cross bars upon which Wearing apparel to be dried may be supported.

These and other objects of the present invention will be made more apparent from the description which follows hereinafter.

For a better understanding of my invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawing in which like numerals refer to like elements and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the extensible shelf assembly of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view of the present invention taken generally along the line 22 of FIGURE 1 and illustrating the manner of mounting the extensible shelf assembly on a support structure;

FIGURE 3 is a detail view taken generally along line 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 44 of FIGURE 3 and more clearly illustrating the connection of the support member of the shelf assembly to a wall; and

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of a mounting plate of the present invention.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, there is illustrated a perspective view of the extensible shelf assembly of the present invention, with the cross members illustrated in the collapsed position defining a shelf. The shelf assembly of this invention comprises support means or back plate 2 which is adapted to be connected to a wall or suitable support. In a presently preferred embodiment of the invention, support means 12 may be in channel form and made from extruded aluminum, but it will be apparent that other forms of support member may be used. Suitably connected to the support member 12 and extending outwardly therefrom are a pair of spaced hinge bar means Patented Nov. 24, 1964 14. Movably supported on the hinge bar means 14 are crossbars 18. At each end of the support member 12, there are provided end caps Zil and 22, through which extend the fastening means 24 for securing the end caps and the support member 12 to a wall or support.

As is apparent from FIGURE 1, the hinge bar means 14 each comprise a first part 26 rigidly affixed to the support member 12 and a second part 28 pivotally connected at an end to the first part 26 by pivot means comprising a pivot pin 30. The hinge bar part 28 is pivoted from a position adjacent the crossbar 18 furthest from the support member 12 (as indicated in solid line) to a position in alignment with the first hinge bar part 26 (as indicated in dotted line). Thus the crossbars 18 may be moved from the collapsed position or folded position wherein they are essentially adjacent one another to an extended position wherein the Crossbars 18 are spaced from one another and extend over both the first part 26 and the second part 28 of the hinge bar means 14.

Referring now to FIGURE 2, there is illustrated a crosssectional View of the extensible shelf assembly 10 of the present invention taken generally along the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1. The support member or back plate 12 comprises a central wall member 32 having formed at the top and bottom, respectively, a downwardly depending flange 34 and an upwardly extending flange as. Adapted to be engaged in the recesses defined by the flanges 34 and 36 and the rear of the central wall 32 are the flanges 38 and 40 of mounting bracket or mounting plate 42.

Extending through an opening 43 in the wall 32 is an end 44 of hinge bar part 26. The end 44 of the hinge bar part 26 is provided with a threaded opening 46 into which may be engaged a bolt or screw 48 for connecting the hinge bar part 26, the central wall 32 of the support means and the mounting bracket 42 to one another. The screw 48 extends through an opening 50 in the mounting plate 42 and engages a washer 51 for maintaining the screw 48 in the fastened position.

The fastening means 24 for securing the extensible shelf assembly 10 to the wall 58 comprises screws 52 which may extend. through inserts 54 positioned in openings se in the wall 58. The inserts 54 are desirable if the wall member is comprised of material that will not, of itself, readily support a screw, as for example, plaster wall board. If the screws can be afiixed to a wooden wall support, then, of course, the inserts are not needed.

In the collapsed position, the crossbars 18 of the shelf assembly are in close proximity to one another, being spaced only by the width of the spacers 6t), preferably made from clear plastic, which are positioned between each pair of adjacent Crossbars 18. When the shelf as sembly is utilized as a shelf, all of the crossbars 18 are supported on the male hinge bar part 26 and the female hinge bar part 28 is pivoted about the pivot pin 34 into engagement with the outermost crossbar 18, or adjacent the outermost crossbar 18, such that the two hinge bar parts 28 are in longitudinal alignment with oneanother.

When it is desired to utilize the extensible shelf assembly 10 as a drying rack, the hinge bar parts 28 are pivoted into longitudinal alignment with the axis of hinge bar parts 26 and the crossbars 18 are then slid over the hinge bar parts 28 such that the crossbars are spaced from one another and are supported on both parts of the hinge bar means 14. A suitable retaining screw 62, preferably made from plastic, is provided in a threaded bore 64 in the end of each hinge bar part 28 to retain the crossbars 18 on the hinge bar means 14.

Considering now FIGURES 3, 4 and 5, there is illus trated more clearly the construction of the mounting plate 42 and the manner for securing the extensible shelf assembly to a wall 58 or other support. The left mounting plate 42 comprises a central part 66 and a pair of oflset flanges 63 and 70. The inner flange 68 is provided with an opening 72 and Within the outer flange 79 are a pair of spaced openings 74. It will be understood that the right mounting plate is of the same construction as the left mounting plate except that two openings are provided in the outermost flange and a single opening is provided in the innermost flange.

As aforenoted, the screw or bolt 48 extends through an opening 50 in the mounting plate 42 into a threaded bore 46 in the end of the hinge bar part 26, thus securing the hinge bar part 26 to the mounting plate 42.

The fastening means 24 secure the extensible shelf assembly to the support wall 58. Screws 52 extend through the end cap 20, the back plate 12, openings 74 in the flange 70 of the mounting bracket 42 and engage the inserts 54 in the openings 56 in. Wall 58. A shorter screw 52 extends through the opening 72 in the flange 68 into the insert 54 provided in the opening 56 in the wall member 58 to afiix the flange 68 of the mounting bracket 42 directly to the wall 58.

As will be noted in FIGURE 4, a rubber or plastic grommet 76 is provided in an opening 78 in the central wall 32 of the support member 12. A plurality of grommets 76 may be provided along the length of the back plate 12 in alignment with the innermost crossbar 18. The grommets engage the innermost crossbar 18 and prevent the same from engaging the central portion 32 of back plate 12 and causing undesirable noise when the extensible shelf assembly is being collapsed.

By the present invention, there has been provided a unique extensible shelf assembly ideally suited for use in the home, in motels or in hotels by users of drip-dry wearing apparel. In a collapsed position, the shelf assembly may be utilized as a shelf. When so used, it provides a compact and pleasing appearance to the eye. When the shelf assembly is to be utilized for supporting wearing apparel to be dried, the members 28 of the hinge bar means 14 may be pivoted from a position lying adjacent the outermost crossbar 18 to a position in longitudinal alignment with the male hinge bar part 26 rigidly affixed to the support plate 12. The crossbars 18 may be moved onto both parts of the hinge bar means 14 into a more widely spaced arrangement so as to support the articles of clothing or the other articles to be dried.

The erossbars may be readily fabricated of extruded aluminum and it will be obvious that all components of the extensible shelf assembly which may come into contact with the clothing to be dried are fabricated of rustproof material, as for example, aluminum or plastic.

While I have described a preferred embodiment of the present invention, I desire it to be understood that it may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. An extensible shelf and rack assembly comprising, in combination: elongated support means adapted to be connected to a wall; a pair of hinge bar members connected to and extending outwardly from said support means, said hinge bar members each comprising a first part fixedly connected at one end to said support means and having a free end and a second part pivotally connected to said free end of said first part; and a plurality of cross members supported on said hinge bar members, said cross members having a combined width which is less than the length of a first part of a hinge bar member, whereby in a first mode of use, all the cross members are supported on said first parts of said hinge bar members to define a shelf and the second parts of the hinge bar members are pivoted to a position adjacent the cross members furthest from the Wall and in a second mode of use, the second parts of the hinge bar members are pivoted into alignment with a longitudinal axis of the first parts of the hinge bar members and the cross members are spaced from one another on both the first and second parts of the hinge bar members to define a drying rack.

2. An extensible shelf and rack assembly as in claim 1 wherein said cross members are spaced from one another on said first parts of said hinge bar members in said first mode of use by spacer means.

3. An extensible shelf and rack assembly as in claim 1 wherein the first parts of said hinge bar means extend through openings in the support means and are bolted thereto.

4. An extensible shelf and rack assembly as in claim 1 including a mounting plate connected to said support means and adapted to be connected to a wall.

5. An extensible shelf and rack assembly as in claim 1 including means for retaining the crossbars on the hinge bar means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 699,214 5/02 Moulton M 211l05.1 X 1,654,341 12/27 Mendiolagoita 211-99 2,179,216 11/39 Kalks 211-99 2,627,980 2/53 Schwarz 211-2 2,700,474 1/ Visk 21 1-2 2,889,052 6/59 ONeill 2l1104 2,956,689 10/60 Togt 211l04 X FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner.

CHANCELLOR E. HARRIS, Examiner. 

1. AN EXTENSIBLE SHELF AND RACK ASSEMBLY COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: ELONGATED SUPPORT MEANS ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO A WALL; A PAIR OF HINGE BAR MEMBERS CONNECTED TO AND EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM SAID SUPPORT MEANS, SAID HINGE BAR MEMBERS EACH COMPRISING A FIRST PART FIXEDLY CONNECTED AT ONE END TO SAID SUPPORT MEANS AND HAVING A FREE END AND A SECOND PART PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO SAID FREE END OF SAID FIRST PART; AND A PLURALITY OF CROSS MEMBERS SUPPORTED ON SAID HINGE BAR MEMBERS, SAID CROSS MEMBERS HAVING A COMBINED WIDTH WHICH IS LESS THAN THE LENGTH OF A FIRST PART OF A HINGE BAR MEMBER, WHEREBY IN A FIRST MODE OF USE, ALL THE CROSS MEMBERS ARE SUPPORTED ON SAID FIRST PARTS OF SAID HINGE BAR MEMBERS TO DEFINE A SHELF AND THE SECOND PARTS OF THE HINGE BAR MEMBERS ARE PIVOTED TO A POSITION ADJACENT THE CROSS MEMBERS FURTHEST FROM THE WALL AND IN A SECOND MODE OF USE, THE SECOND PARTS OF THE HINGE BAR MEMBERS ARE PIVOTED INTO ALIGNMENT WITH A LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE FIRST PARTS OF THE HINGE BAR MEMBERS AND THE CROSS MEMBERS ARE SPACED FROM ONE ANOTHER ON BOTH THE FIRST AND SECOND PARTS OF THE HINGE BAR MEMBERS TO DEFINE A DRYING RACK. 